Piker20 0 Report post Posted August 7, 2012 I have found the bead sizing table really useful and wondered if there is a similar one for wire sizes to hook size? Preferably one that lists wire as xsmall small med large as I don't have the dia on spools. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whatfly 0 Report post Posted August 7, 2012 Sure, try: http://www.swtu.org/pdfs/fly_tying/Wapsi-Wire-Sizes.pdf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted August 7, 2012 Cheers for that Whatfly. Do I just use those dia the same as the bead size now for my hook guide? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buggybob 0 Report post Posted August 8, 2012 The wire size you use for nymphs should relate to the pattern you are tying. You don't want to use wire that would hide the body, but the other side of that is that you don't want the ribbing wire to dissapear in the body. Use what looks good on the fly. In general I would use x-small on 16 and under, small on 12 to 16, and brassie or medium on anything larger unless you want the ribbing to be extremely dominant and not worry about the color of the body showing through then bump up the diameter to large. Some things in fly tying don't have hard and fast rules. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whatfly 0 Report post Posted August 8, 2012 Yup, agree with Bubbybob, it depends. Just as with beads you sometimes use different sizes for different sizes on different hooks, so too with wire. I typically like understated ribs, so for Uniwire, I use x-small a lot more than small. For trout, I've never bothered using anything larger than brassie, and I only use medium on steelhead flies. If I were forced to set up a rule of thumb, I guess it would be: x-small for 18 or smaller and dries; small for 16-14; brassie for 12-10, and medium for anything larger UNLESS it is just for reinforcement (e.g. woolly bugger) and then I just use small. You need to tie enough so you develop your own scale. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted August 8, 2012 Cheers BuggyBob, agree no set rules just been working on my fly proportions recently. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted August 9, 2012 http://flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com/2011/09/ultra-wire-diameters.html LEAD WIRE TO HOOK SIZING CHART Weight: Lead wire, sized appropriately for the hook. .035- hook sizes 4 and bigger .030-hook sizes 6 and 4 .025-hook sizes 6 through 10 .020-hook sizes 12 and 14 .015-hook sizes 14 and 16 .010-hook sizes 18 and smaller Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maverick262 0 Report post Posted November 16, 2020 Hello newbie here. is the lead wire sizes ..015, .020, .025, .035 the same size chart that UTC ultra wire is. I saw a chart that says the following size wire XS .11 ,SM, .16 BR . 20 MED .33 if this is so can this be substituted for the lead wire ? thank you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandan 0 Report post Posted November 16, 2020 34 minutes ago, Maverick262 said: Hello newbie here. ..... if this is so can this be substituted for the lead wire ? thank you. Nope. They are completely different types of wire. one for ribbing or bodies, the other for weighting your flies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2020 if this is so can this be substituted for the lead wire ? yes, copper wire can be used as weight on flies. they just wont be as heavy as flies using lead wire example and in a pinch, lead wire could be used as ribbing on flies and as a body material when all else fails fly pattern lead wire sizes http://flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com/2020/06/leadnon-lead-wire-size-to-hook.html ultra wire sizes http://flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com/2011/09/ultra-wire-diameters.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandan 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2020 4 hours ago, flytire said: if this is so can this be substituted for the lead wire ? yes, copper wire can be used as weight on flies. they just wont be as heavy as flies using lead wire and in a pinch, lead wire could be used as ribbing on flies and as a body material True but those are the exceptions to "the rule", yes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2020 Well, I would say that wire's not a a substitute for lead because of the difference in densities, but I do use it to weight flies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maverick262 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2020 5 hours ago, flytire said: if this is so can this be substituted for the lead wire ? yes, copper wire can be used as weight on flies. they just wont be as heavy as flies using lead wire example and in a pinch, lead wire could be used as ribbing on flies and as a body material when all else fails fly pattern lead wire sizes http://flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com/2020/06/leadnon-lead-wire-size-to-hook.html ultra wire sizes http://flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com/2011/09/ultra-wire-diameters.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maverick262 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2020 I wanted to thank all those who posted. The chart links were helpful. I knew that one type was much heavier for weighting down the fly. But I was watching a fly tying video and he was going back and forth with wire types and made it sound interchangeable and I knew one was heavier. It was helpful to get answers so quickly. Tight Lines Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Sandan said: True but those are the exceptions to "the rule", yes? no! there are no "rules" in fly tying where is the written "rule" that lead wire can only be used as weight when tying a weighted fly? recipes suggest lead wire but its not a "rule" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites